When photography first emerged in the 19th century, it challenged the conservative ideas held by many, and it can be argued that it displaced the previous visual technologies of its time. Whilst it is evident that photography displaced the popularity of visual apparatuses such as the panorama and the diorama in the years following its inception, it did not however, replace them as significant technologies of vision. Whilst elements of their original forms have changed, the foundations of these early apparatuses of vison are still evident today, as they have merged and adapted with new technologies of the time. During its introduction, photography also impacted upon the art world and raised similar questions as to whether it would displace previous art conceptions and the power of creativity, which were argued my many theorists such as Charles Baudelaire. As we now know today photography is considered to be both a technology and an art form that is constantly evolving and simply provides another medium for creative expression.
Following on from the Renaissance and its early inventions such as the camera obscura, believed to be the origin of the photographic camera, other visual apparatuses were developed in the early 19th century such as the panorama and diorama. It was around this time that society witnessed rapid social change as an industrial revolution took place. From this many sought to build upon previous technologies of vision like Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton who created the diorama. The diorama was a visual display that consisted of various layered paintings hung from the ceiling "to represent the effects of nature" (Daguerre 84). The paintings would then be lit from the front and the back to give the illusion of real life. These dioramas were held in large theatres and drew large crowds to view this spectacle of life. As Daguerre continued to improve the apparatuses of vision it led him to discover the ability to fixate images onto metal plates which he called Daguerreotypes. As a result of this discovery the diorama declined as a popular apparatus of vision, however the foundations of the diorama are still present today. Due to their ability to offer a three-dimensional spectacle of life incorporating various sensory experiences like sound, the diorama continued to intrigue audiences. In the 20th century the diorama began to change evolving into modern times. The diorama then became used as a showcase of various subjects predominately used in modern history museums. Remanences of the diorama are also visible today in architectural models and movie sets to name a few. The diorama also shares various similarities to photography in that it inspired many forms of landscape and tableau photography which is evident with artists like Thomas Demand who uses aspects of the diorama in many of his works in which he creates small scale models to convey his conceptual ideas. One example of this is Demand’s work titled “The Tunnel”, in which he created a model of the tunnel in which Diana Princess of Wales died. The diorama has also been used in the work of artists, including Marcel Duchamp. This is evident within his work “Etant Donne’s”, in which he created two small dioramas that could only be viewed through a small hole in a door.
The panorama was another significant visual apparatus that became widely popular within the 19th century. The word panorama means ‘wide spanning’ and it was this concept which had been used in painting and drawing for many years prior. Although the panorama was well established it became widely popular in the 19th century due to Scottish painter Robert Barker who further developed the panorama by painting a scene that spanned across a large round room. Since then the central concept of the panorama has developed alongside technology and has merged with photography. This is evident with Felice Beato’s albumen silver prints in which he aligned seven images together to achieve similar effects to Robert Barker’s original panorama. The panorama has also influenced new technologies such as virtual reality as it combines the foundations of a wide viewing plane with added sensory qualities to replicate real world experiences. The concepts of the panorama have also been adapted to the camera mode on many smart phone devices.
Whilst the panorama has merged with photography, the diorama has remained largely separate. This is partially due to the fact that the diorama has retained most of its original form as well as provides different qualities to photography. However, both these previous apparatuses of vision are still evident in some form today and have evolved with the invention of new technologies and artistic practices which further supports the argument that photography did not replace these earlier technologies, but rather enhanced them, even if they diminished in popularity in their original forms.
Photography had an unconventional birth as it was not considered to be just one single invention, but a series of discoveries made by various figures over centuries. As Prodger explains in his book “Darwin’s Camera”, “We tend to think of photography as having been born whole with all the ease and authority it currently commands” (Prodger 2009). As Geoffrey Batchen questions the nature of photography’s past in his book “Each Wild Idea”, he touches on photography’s inherent quality to be both a physical technology and a means of cultural identity as well as photography’s ability to over time become melded with the arts. “Over the past two decades, the boundary between photography and other media like painting, sculpture, or performance has become increasingly porous. It would seem that each medium has absorbed the other, leaving the photographic residing everywhere, but nowhere in particular.” (Batchen 2000) Whilst these values are clearly evident today, during the 19th century many feared photography.
As well as impacting upon the technologies of its time, the invention of photography also impacted upon the art world, as many believed this new medium would destroy the foundations of creativity and in turn see the decline of poetry and other creative arts. This frustrated many people and one such person who carried these notions was Charles Baudelaire. This is evident in the article he wrote called “Oh photography, from the salon of 1859”. He shares his frustrations with others expressing his worries for future generations. Growing up, Baudelaire showed maturity beyond his age and became heavily opinionated when it came to his literary works. As his career progressed Baudelaire began to translate foreign works such as the likes of Edgar Allen Poe as well as review artworks and soon became known as “the father of modern Art criticism”. In his first publication "The Flowers of Evil", Baudelaire touches on the importance of seeing beauty in what may seem an otherwise bleak world. “Through the Unknown, we'll find the New” (Baudelaire 1857). Whilst Baudelaire touched on these ideas of embracing the new in his works, he later changed his beliefs when photography came into effect. When photography was first integrated into mainstream society many believed that because of its ability to produce accurate depictions of reality it would soon replace other technologies of vision such as poetry, painting and sculpture. Baudelaire being the father of modern art criticism soon became doubtful about modernity as he felt that in this industrial era the artist would lose aspects of their creativity. Baudelaire best expressed these opinions in the article “Oh photography, from the salon of 1859” in which he compares a poem to a photograph saying, “a poet’s dictionary of subjective associations, metaphorical forms rather than concrete phenomena” (Baudelaire 1857). Photography however continued to grow with significant figures like Daguerre, who continued the works of Niepce to develop the process of fixing images. Baudelaire still however held his harsh opinions on the matter until his death in 1867 stating “a revengeful god has given ear to the prayers of this multitude Daguerre was his Messiah” (Baudelaire 1857).
Evidently photography never really displaced creative thinking but rather provided a new medium and platform for artistic expression. One such person who valued these ideas was Alfred Stieglitz, a mechanical engineer who began to experiment with photography during the industrial age when society saw rapid growth and expansion in which man and machine cultivated change. Stieglitz was an advocate for modernity and modernism who has been credited with changing society’s view of photography as he aimed to break down the stigma surrounding it. In the many art movements prior to the invention of photography, art was seen as a venue for expression and self-interpretation based upon the artist and their context, something that society believed photography could not achieve. However, Stieglitz was able to create romantic transitory depictions of nature which allowed society’s views to change leaving them to question whether what they were looking at was a photograph or a painting. He is most well-known for his pictorial photographs in which he aimed to align painting with photography. Stieglitz achieved this by applying certain effects that would show similarities to impressionist paintings. “In photography there is a reality so subtle and it becomes more than reality” (Stieglitz). As the industrial era progressed Stieglitz’s work began to reflect more modern aspects of reality. This can be seen in his 1892 work “Winter, Fifth Avenue” in which he presents a stagecoach in the middle of a snowstorm. It is within this work that Stieglitz “had to wait for the ideal composition unlike a painter who could manufacture it” (The art story modern art institute 2018). Stieglitz’s influence created a platform for other photographers to become significant artists by increasing the popularity of photography as a visual technology and art form. It was not until photography was accepted as a legitimate art form that old ideas were challenged, and artists were able to see that photography could be an extension of art and a new medium to which they could convey and express their conceptual ideas.
Since the 19th century many technological endeavours have been made with technologies and values in society changing. It is through these changes that it has allowed us to draw on and compare the similarities and differences between photography and previous technologies of vision and reflect on the impact that the invention of photography had. Whilst photography has certainly displaced the popularity of previous technologies of vision like the panorama and the diorama, it has not replaced their presence. Photography has instead altered and enhanced them as they have evolved with technology over decades and are still in use in various forms in society today. Photography has also progressed as an art form despite society’s prior beliefs. Photography has also given voice to the storytellers and has brought contrasting worlds together. It has given birth to a universal language, a photographic condition that links humanity together in which feelings, emotions, knowledge and culture are shared. Photography itself has undergone huge advancements since its inception and will continue to develop as technology progresses. The introduction of digital technology has meant that photography is now portable, instant and accessible to billions of people across the globe through the use digital cameras and mobile phones and society continues to drive the advancements in technology with its desire to have the latest devices. Just as some of the earlier visual apparatuses of the nineteenth century diminished in popularity, technologies of vision like photography will continue to evolve and many of the current technologies and processes for taking images will be superseded, however their influences will continue to be evident in some form or other into the future.